In any communication or learning situation, whether face to face or online – we need to think socially. When we do, we can infer meaning, recognise subtle gestures and respond to what people are thinking and feeling. Juggling these skills, is how we learn and keep friends. Research shows children with hearing loss are delayed in the development of these complex skills. As parents and professionals, do you want to know where to start to address the social gaps you see?

 

Together we’ll join the dots between hearing loss and the principles of social thinking with our morning keynote speaker Michelle Garcia Winner, as she’s the founder of the critically acclaimed Social Thinking® programme. She’ll explain the principles, which include theory of mind and executive function and guide you to lots of useful resources to take away and use.

 

Michelle Garcia Winner, MA, CCC is a speech language pathologist who specializes in the treatment of students with social cognitive challenges, which includes diagnoses such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, Asperger syndrome, ADHD/ADD, Twice exceptional and Non-verbal learning disorder, to name a few.  She has a private practice in San Jose, California where she works with clients, consults with families and schools and she travels internationally giving workshops as well as being invited to train psychiatrists, psychologists, counselors, and state policy makers. She presents many different all day workshops and helps to develop programs for schools and classrooms. 

Michelle is the founder of Social Thinking® and the related treatment strategies. She has written or co-authored numerous books which are published through Think Social Publishing, inc. Michelle’s goal is to help educators, psychologists, psychiatrists, mental health counselors and parents appreciate how social thinking and related social skills are an integral part of students’ academic, vocational and community success.  She was featured as a Social Thinking therapist in the 2016 Sundance Premiere Documentary; Life, Animated. She was honored with a “Congressional Special Recognition Award” in 2008.  Michelle believes we can all do far more to understand the social learning process and how we can teach more of these concepts to all students.